Butterflies
by Maniac345
Summary: Rex asks Circe on a date.
1. Chapter 1

**(I don't own the series)**

Another shot failed.

"Rex, how can you keep saving the world and not shoot a basket?" Noah asked the Hispanic teen standing about ten feet away. "It's kind of annoying at this point."

The two boys played basketball on an empty court on the edge of town, enjoying the lightly filtered sun on a cloudy day. Holiday had given them free leave, and EVO sightings had been far less frequent than usual lately- at least, the dangerous ones. Minor EVOs remained abundant, but Rex was only called for drastic missions, so it was best to let the soldiers handle things for now.

"Can it," the young EVO shot back, throwing the ball at Noah. "Let's see _you_ try again, Mister Perfect. You can't do it three times in a row."

But the sight of the ball cleanly falling right through the net defied his expectations.

"Maybe this is _my_ EVO power," the blonde joked, catching the ball and rolling it around on his arms.

Rex snorted. "Mine are way better, then."

"Whatever. Let's just go out to town and chill. We've been playing- sorry, I've been _winning_ for two hours. Getting kind of boring."

The two friends made their way into town and eventually made their way to a local shopping strip, deciding to skip lunch for now. They entered a nearby mall and wandered around the brightly lit halls, wondering if they had enough money to spend on something worthwhile. True, spending time with each other was the real value of the trip, but as soon as they passed a game store, they couldn't help but walk inside and explore.

"Video games are getting weirder and weirder everyday," Noah murmured, picking up a case adorned with images of murderous unicorns. "GoreHorn 2. There's a GoreHorn 1?"

"I'm just gonna stick to the classics," Rex informed him, trailing his fingers across various car themed cases. "The ones where I win, in other words. Look, here's Crash And Burn!"

"Isn't that the supernatural driving game?"

"Yeah, no, it's the one where you race against real life crazy people from history. I've seen it in ads and stuff. It's supposed to be really violent and stuff."

Noah raised a brow. "Think Holiday will let you buy it?"

Rex shrugged, then patted his pockets. "Please, I live and _breathe_ violence. But I don't have the money for it anyway, so Doc's opinion can't really do anything right now. Let's just go check out another store."

They left the shop empty handed, thanks to the lack of green in their pockets, and exposed themselves to the winding hallways once again. The mall was less crowded than usual that day, and for a good half hour, they enjoyed the extra leeway for movement. The two discussed their tastes and joked about their lack of skills for a while, but their humorous exchanges were soon interrupted when Rex bumped into a passerby.

"Oops, sorry," the boy apologized, but his eyes widened at the sight of the familiar figure before him.

Her slim figure was unaffected by the minor collision, and her composure remained normal. Not even her two toned hair was knocked out of place, though the normally scarlet strands at the bottom seemed to have faded away into a milder orange.

"Hey, Rex," Circe greeted him, her voice soft.

Noah pulled his friend back in and instant. "Dude! Enemy alert! Back it up!"

Rex glanced at his friend, then at the captivating sight in front of him. "What are you doing here? Is Van Kleiss around? I swear, if you're all putting this mall under attack-"

"He's not here," the girl denied, cutting him off. "I came here to relax. Just like you, I guess."

"So you've been _spying_ on us?"

"No! I just _assumed!"  
_  
The boys stared at her, not dropping their guard.

"Why are you here _specifically?"_ Noah asked the female EVO, keeping a loose grip on his friend's arm. "We still don't trust you."

Circe sighed. "The boss gives some breaks, okay? I'm here to get my hair redone since the color's fading. Look."

She pointed her hand towards the sign of the store a few feet away from them, indicating a hair and nail salon.

"This red doesn't stay by itself, you know," she informed them. "Plus, I'm getting it relaxed and stuff. Geez."

Rex raised a brow. "Your hair isn't naturally straight?"

"No. It's wavy."

"Oh."

"How often do you get breaks?" Noah asked suspiciously. "Aren't you forced to be slaves all the time?"

"We are _not,"_ the girl retorted, offended by his attitude. "Van Kleiss recognizes that we have thoughts and feelings. He tells me that Providence calls Rex nothing but a weapon, though, so how's _that_ working out for you?"

The male EVO scowled. "He doesn't care if you have feelings, he just acknowledges them. Big difference. And for the record, I've got a great family that doesn't treat me like a mindless drone."

 _"Mine's_ the one on the right side of the EVO war."

Rex scoffed. "Only if your brain is built in _backwards."  
_  
"Sorry, I don't speak nitwit. And anyways, I've gotta go take care of stuff. Bye."

But as Circe walked away into the salon, Rex felt a sudden pang of guilt for berating her for simply being harmless- at least, it seemed that way. His blonde companion recognized the traces of regret on the teen's face, however, and shook his head.

"Rex, don't you _dare_ go after her," he warned. "Remember when she bashed you over the head? She's a wolf in sheep's cloth..."

His sentence trailed off when Rex dashed away into the store, his friend unwilling to listen. A feeling the young EVO couldn't recognize drove the him to catch up with the girl and make things up. Rex felt bad for being too harsh, and besides, no one had been hurt in the mall, and it was true that pretty hair needed consistent upkeep.

He'd learned _that_ tidbit from Holiday.

"Sorry, Noah, but I can't just let her _go,"_ he mumbled under his breath before finally reaching her. "Circe! Look, I'm... sorry about that. I was just really on edge."

Circe turned around and watched the teen approach her, then placed a hand on her hip. "You sure? I don't know if I can _trust_ you."

"Aw, c'mon, don't be sarcastic. Look, you know why we were acting like that. I think we're more on edge because of Van Kleiss instead of you. You're... okay."

"No she's not!" Noah called out from the edge of the store, unwilling to step inside and accidentally tread on fallen hair. "Dude! Get back!"

"I'm _okay?"_ the girl repeated, ignoring the anxious blonde. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Rex gave her a nervous smile. "I meant that in a good way! I swear. Noah's just being protective; don't mind him. Are you gonna be at the salon the entire time?"

Circe glanced at the long line of men and women standing in front of her, realizing that it would take forever to get to the other side. "Hm... maybe not. Why?"

"If you're not that busy, we could just... y'know... hang out?"

Noah, catching bits and pieces of their conversation from the outside, smacked his forehead. "I _really_ wish you knew how to handle a crush."

Rex's face reddened. "It's not! Agh, don't listen to him. You wanna chill with us or nah?"

"I mean... I guess if you're not gonna be _rude_ , and until the line dies down. I don't have all day."

"Great. Wanna go grab a pizza?"

"Not really."

"Rex, she doesn't even want to!" the blonde boy pointed out. "So let's just-"

"I'm in the mood for a drink, though," Circe responded. "Lemonade? Pizza isn't the only option, you know."

Rex grinned. "It's a deal."

Noah smacked his head against the wall.


	2. Chapter 2

**(Ya boy needs some skills)**

"Dude, you're ruining our entire trip," Noah complained to his friend, watching Circe order a drink. "Why did you have to bring her into this?"

Rex sat down at a table in the food court, then dragged his irritated companion into the chair next to him. "Relax, I'm going to make sure she doesn't pull anything. Besides, you're here with me, so she can't knock me out without you doing something about it."

"So you're just gonna rely on _me?_ Don't let it go to your head, but I can't exactly fight her like you can!"

"Rex, which one do you want?" Circe asked the male EVO, walking over to their table. Rex raised a brow.

"You're buying _me_ one?" he asked. "I thought it was gonna be the other way around."

Circe rolled her eyes. "Okay, Macho Man. Do you have your own money?"

Rex blushed. "Um, you know what, never mind. And... thank you. I'll just get a medium soda, please."

As they watched Circe return to the drink dispenser, Noah, despite the situation, grinned. "Did you ask _her_ out, or did she ask _you?"_

"Shut up," the brunette commanded. "You know Providence doesn't pay me. I can't help being broke."

"Wanna switch to working in Abysus? I hear there's great wages. Probably even higher than _yours."  
_  
"Hilarious, Noah. _Really."_

Moments later, the three sat sipping from their select drinks, Noah having refused the girl's assistance, insisted on paying for his own. Circe drank a pink lemonade, Rex an extremely fizzy soda, and the third of the trio enjoyed a light coffee. Rex and his crush seemed to be on decent terms with each other, but the blonde remained feeling like a third wheel.

If anything, he had to be an _anti_ wingman.

"So, you wanna talk about what secret plans Van Kleiss might have?" Rex asked, raising a brow.

Circe rolled her eyes. "Can we seriously not talk about all that right now? I came here to have some _me_ time. Besides, I wouldn't even tell you in the first place."

Noah nodded. "Yep. Stupid question, Rex."

Rex frowned. "Sorry. Force of habit. So, do you wanna come join Providence- _kidding!"  
_  
"You're not really kidding," the female EVO murmured, stirring the ice in her drink, "But I'm not joining you. There's not really much that's gonna come out of it."

"Rex just wants to share a bedroom with you," Noah whispered teasingly in his friend's ear, prompting a harsh kick in his direction.

"Dude, shut _up,"_ Rex ordered him. "Don't be an ass. I don't hang out with her often."

"And for a good reason, too."

"Y'know, sometimes Breach lets me hang out in her dollhouse dimension when we're on break," Circe interrupted. "We get privacy time. And amazing opportunities to help EVOs. Why don't you join _us."  
_  
Rex scoffed. "You're joking, right? Your boss wants me six feet below."

"No, he doesn't. He just needs to get through to you that you belong with us. With _me."  
_  
The boys glanced at her, then each other, unsure of where this was going.

"You _want_ me to be with you?" Rex asked slowly, setting down his soda. "Kinda thought you hated me."

"Okay, look, that's _dumb,"_ Circe stated. "It really is. Everyone on your side and mine knows that there's something going on with us. We can pretend there's nothing, but they're already convinced."

Rex's eyes widened. "Convinced about what?"

"That's up to _us_. We can't do anything if you don't come join me in saving EVOs from oppression. We could make something _happen_ , Rex."

Noah grabbed his friend's hand under the table. "I should have known it was about work."

"It's not _just_ about that," the female EVO insisted. "We know exactly what we could be between us. Everyone does. Why won't you come with me? Van Kleiss isn't going to kill you!"

Rex narrowed his eyes at her. "You're being pretty blunt about things, but that doesn't mean the last part is right. Even if he's not gonna murder me, he's just gonna use me like a machine."

"So how does that make Providence any different?"

"What- no!" the brunette sputtered. "You know _damn_ well that that's not what they're doing to me! They gave me a room and everything!"

"I have a room too," Circe pointed out. "And money. And a way to help EVOs that your side harasses. What's _your_ protocol? Cure, contain, k-"

"Hey!" Noah interjected. "*We're not the ones who tried to force the entire United Nations to bow down to us!"

The girl stared at Noah for a few moments, her eyes clouding with aggravation. "Rex, c'mon. Even your _friend_ here was a spy against you. White Knight doesn't give a crap about tricking you to do what he wants. At least Van Kleiss is _open_ about his intentions before everything."

Rex shook his head. "Forget about Noah, that was something... I forgave. And yeah, White Knight isn't right in the head either, but he's _not_ the entire organization. Also, what's the point of having a leader that's fully honest if they're only honest about being evil?"

Circe let out a sarcastic laugh. "White Knight's not the entire organization? Um, no, he's the _head_ of it. And Van Kleiss isn't evil. He's just really aggressive about what he wants. You're just... I don't wanna say it... brainwashed."

Noah scowled, and squeezed his friend's hand even tighter. "Yeah, well, we're not the ones _killing_ people."

Rex nodded in agreement. "Yep. You can't say _that_ about your little circus show."

"Oh really?" Circe questioned. "You were about to nuke New York City, and plus, you send out thousands of soldiers that end up dying because they're not prepared to deal with the fights they're up against. Not to mention innocent EVOs."

"Try again," the male EVO spoke up, taking another sip of his soda. "We didn't actually do it, so that's off the table. And those soldiers were prepared to do their job, no matter what. It's not my fault."

"You _fully intended_ to do it," the girl pointed out. "How come I can't use what you _almost_ did against you, but it's fine if _you_ bring up the United Nations thing? We didn't _actually_ do it, after all. And just because your soldiers are prepared, doesn't mean they should suffer like that."

The three stared at each other, unsure of what to say next. Noah decided to clear the awkward silence, and cleared his throat to speak.

"Look," the blonde began, pushing a strand of hair to the side. "You guys aren't going to agree since you have opposite goals. The only way it's going to work is if one of you switch your options."

"What options?" Rex asked, turning to his friend. "Killing or _not_ killing innocent people?"

"No, the broader view," Noah explained. "Providence wants a cure for EVOs. Van Kleiss wants them to keep existing. It's that simple."

"We need a cure for all the damage they cause," the male EVO insisted. "They hurt people every day."

Circe frowned. "Yeah, Rex. I agree. You _do_ hurt people every day."

"Not _me,"_ Rex snapped. "The mindless ones. You know what I'm talking about."

"That's _exactly_ what Van Kleiss is trying to tell the world. That EVOs, like you, are useful and deserve a place on Earth. Even the dumb ones can still be captured and made to work instead of being killed off. I just had to use some sarcasm to make that point. _Apparently_ , you didn't _catch_ it."

"Ugh, can we all stop arguing?" Noah complained. "I didn't come out for this. _None_ of us did. Are you two gonna fight it out or what?"

Rex shifted his gaze towards the female EVO,. "Yeah, he's... right. I didn't really ask you out to fight with you."

Noah huffed, disappointed that the teen hadn't come to his senses.

Circe shrugged, but they could see that something was still bothering her. "Yeah, it's just that... if you don't join me, I'm worried about what might happen to you. To be completely honest with you, it's not gonna flow smoothly like we want it to. But I mean, I _did_ enjoy seeing you again."

Rex cocked a brow. "Sounds like you're gonna leave."

"I am," she explained, standing up and throwing her plastic cup away. "Like I said, I don't have all day. I mainly came here for the hair thing, remember? The line should be smaller by now."

"See, you, then. It was cool hanging out."

Circe gave him a sad smile just before she left.

"It... yeah, it really was."


	3. Chapter 3

"You guys... I gotta tell you something."

Noah and Bobo glanced at Rex from the teen EVO's bed, eating snacks that left small messes on the sheets. The three sat in his room, having just finished a horror movie marathon. By now, it was quite late, persuading Rex believe it was a decent time to reveal secrets in the dark.

"Did you pee your pants?" Bobo asked, reaching for a handful of pretzels. "Don't use _my_ underwear to make up for it."

Rex shook his head, the glowing light from the TV illuminating his face. "No, it's something different. I'm having weird feelings."

"Feelings?" Noah asked. "No TMI's, dude."

"Noah!" Rex snapped. " _No_ , it's like... I feel like there's EVO bugs in my stomach or something."

"Did someone punch you in the gut?" the blonde asked, taking a bite out of a cookie. "You should probably tell Holiday."

"No, I've had this feeling ever since we met up with Circe."

Bobo frowned. "I'll get the insecticide, then."

"Take me _seriously_ , you guys," Rex demanded. "I don't know why I feel like this. I don't get it. But since I saw her, it's... something inside me I can't just think away."

Noah rolled his eyes. "The phrase is "butterflies in the stomach", Rex. You have a crush. It's natural."

"I don't have a crush!"

Bobo rolled his eyes. "Denial dispenser."

Rex shut off the TV and joined them in sitting on his bed. "Okay, she's cute or whatever, and maybe she's cool, but... I don't know. It's a really weird feeling. It happened after the date- er, hangout session- and I can't get it out of my mind."

"Yep, sounds like a crush," Noah remarked. "You're infatuated. Obsessed. And now you've got the _butterflies."_

"But-"

"Yeah," the monkey agreed. "Soon you'll be growing old together with a measly retirement fund."

Rex grimaced. "No. She's the _enemy_. Can't you remember that?"

Noah scoffed. "I don't think _you_ did when you asked her out for drinks."

"I... but... okay. I made a mistake. But I just thought I needed to do it. I don't know why."

"When are you buying the ring?" Bobo teased.

Rex rolled his eyes. "Try _never_. It was just me being friendly, you know? So she doesn't make her boss raise hell on us."

Noah and Bobo glanced at each other, exchanging knowing looks.

"Well, it's late," the blonde stared. "I'm gonna go home. Nice movie night, and great snacks... or what's left of them, since Bobo's still stuffing his face. I'll see you later, okay?"

The boy left, and soon afterwards, Bobo did too, murmuring something about needing extra Bobo time. Rex cleaned the mess off his bed- meaning he threw whatever didn't match his bedsheets into the trash- and lied down to sleep, hoping to get some rest. He still felt the sensations of butterflies in his stomach, and it was true that they all started with his meeting with Circe. But whether he had a crush or not was not something he wanted to think about.

She worked for an maniac, after all.

But by the morning, the feelings still hadn't dissipated.

"Noah's gonna have a field day with this," the boy muttered to himself, making his way down the hallway for early training. "Stupid butterflies. I didn't even _eat_ caterpillars."

"What are you talking about?" Six asked, walking alongside him.

"Human things, Six. I don't think you'd be familiar with them."

The green agent raised a brow, but pried no further.

Moments later, they entered training room, and began basic tactics. A few swings here, a few punches there, and an adequate amount of leaps helped assess the boy's current skills. Rex dodged various attacks and administered his own, keeping his mentor on his toes. Despite how much effort it took to maintain their pace, they secretly enjoyed the temporary distraction from the world it granted them.

Until Rex started to fail.

The teen felt the butterflies flitting around in his stomach again, and after thinking about Circe, it became even stronger. The effect of his temporary haze reared its ugly head when Rex zoned out and got slammed against a wall, with Six standing right above him, bearing his swords.

" _Focus_ , Rex," the man commanded him.

Rex nodded, stood up, and continued his training. This time, however, it didn't last nearly as long. The teen soon ended with his body pressed against the wall and caught in an armlock, the crawling feelings inside him persisting.

"Ow, okay, let me go!" he pleaded, attempting to wriggle his way out of Six's grip. "I'll do better, I promise! I just got a little distracted."

"The exact _opposite_ of what I told you to do," his mentor stated. "What keeps bothering you?"

"I'm just... feeling some weird things."

"What?"

"I saw Circe yesterday."

Six released his from the armlock, spun the boy around, and gave the boy what seemed to be a concerned look. "Where? Was Van Kleiss with her?"

Rex shook his head. "No, she was alone. I... hung out with her for a bit. And I told Noah what was distracting me, and he said I was feeling butterflies in me. That's what's distracting me."

Six cocked a brow. "Butterflies?"

"Yeah, cuz I feel tingles in my stomach. He said- and don't laugh- it's because I _like_ her like her. I don't believe him, though."

Six sighed. This was a matter for Holiday to deal with.

Or at least knock _out_ of him.

"I don't _wanna_ tell Doc about it," Rex whined as the green agent dragged him through the hallways in the direction of Holiday's lab. "She- she might get jealous or something!"

"I'm not equipped to deal with your hormones," Six responded. "Hopefully she'll find a way to fix you, because I was able to pin your down at least _ten_ more times after your confession. I shouldn't have been able to do that."

"You're the six deadliest man on Earth!"

"And I was holding back."

The doctor stared in surprise at the sight of the two bursting into her lab, nearly spilling her morning coffee on her white coat. Sensing the distress in Rex's eyes, she instantly frowned and set her drink down on a nearby table.

"What's wrong?" she asked quickly. "Who's hurt?"

"No one's hurt," Agent Six answered, pushing Rex towards her. "He has some things he needs to fix, or else he'll be useless in the field. Tell her, Rex."

With a reddening face, the teen explained everything, including the details of his heated conversation with Circe the day before. Holiday's frown shifted into a smile, then a wide grin. Her green eyes lit up in clear entertainment, embarrassing the boy even further. By the time he was finished, she let out a chuckle.

"Oh, Rex," the doctor began amusedly, "You're really caught up in it, aren't you? I can see why Six didn't want to deal with this. But yes, what Noah said about butterflies was perfectly normal. Though, it _is_ rather... odd."

Rex crossed his arms defensively. "It's _not_ a crush!"

"I highly doubt that, but that's not what I'm referring to. I assumed that you'd gotten over her after she knocked you out at the United Na-"

"I did! Which is why I shouldn't be feeling bugs in me! Bobo's right. I should get insecticide."

Holiday sighed. "Rex, you know that you don't even have to _do_ anything about it, don't you? I'm not going to ask you to be with her, but simply to acknowledge the fact that you have feelings for her. That's all. Denial is only going to keep bothering you."

"What about the butterflies?"

"Yes, those will go away with time. You can't rationalize all your emotions. Sometimes, it's just a matter of _understanding_ where they _come_ from."

Rex huffed, and leaned against a counter. "No one believes me. This isn't normal! This feeling is... different!"

"Different from what? Rex, you came out of a life of amnesia, and this is likely the first girl your age you're seeing this way since your last episode. Relax."

"It _tingles_ , Doc. How can _emotions_ do that?"

"Bodily reactions are also what makes us human, and are often a result of the sympathetic nervous system. Goosebumps and shivers are natural too. You'll be just _fine_. I promise."

But Rex wasn't convinced.


End file.
